Chili Cheese Fries

I spent a large part of my youth cruising the North Riverside Park Mall — and one stop was always America's favorite cheesesteak counter for some chili cheese fries. My version uses a homemade chili with a "controversh" cooking method (thanks, Katie Lee Biegel for this technique), and the crispiest homemade fries you ever did taste.

Smoked Brisket Chili

This is a little riff on Texas chili I learned to make from my buddy Stewart in culinary school. I quickly realized that when it came to chili, Texas definitely was king.

Texas-Style Chili

Chili took off in Texas during the late 19th century when Mexican women known as the Chili Queens served it alongside tamales and enchiladas in San Antonio’s Plaza de Armas. Today, an authentic “Texas bowl of red” is just like the Queens’ version, with chunks of meat (not ground) and no beans or tomatoes.